If people already search for your product or service, Google search ads are the fastest route to enquiries. If your product is visually striking, or nobody searches for it yet, start on Meta’s platforms, because there you get to show why you are worth paying attention to.
1. The two side by side
| Aspect | Meta (Facebook, Instagram) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it reaches | People scrolling, who fit the target audience by interests or behaviour. | People who are searching for a product or service right now. |
| Strength | It creates demand, with striking images and video. | It serves existing demand, at the moment of the search. |
| Creative | The image or the video decides, so many variations are needed. | The copy and the keywords matter, and image ads are a supplement. |
| Enquiry | Often after several touches, together with retargeting. | Often right after the first click. |
| A good choice for | Striking or new products that few people search for yet. | Services and products that people already search for. |
2. Which one to start with
Start with Meta’s platforms if
- your product looks good in pictures or video
- you are creating a new category that few people search for yet
- the interests of your target audience are easy to describe
- you also want to build awareness of your brand alongside the enquiries
Start with Google if
- people already search for what you offer
- you provide a local service, for example repairs or cleaning
- one enquiry is worth a lot, so a more expensive click still pays off
- you need to see quickly whether there is demand for your offer
3. An example from our work
Creative graphics With our ad creatives, performance was part of the brief too. The visual had to appeal and also work on the ad platform, so we adapted each one by format and by platform. See the case study 4. How to split the budget
For most businesses the two work best together. On Meta’s platforms you spark interest, and on Google you are there when someone searches for your name or your service. Retargeting connects the two, because your ads also appear to people who have already visited you.
At the start it is worth focusing on one channel until it becomes clear which ad brings enquiries. Once that is known, we spread the budget gradually, based on the numbers.
Whichever you start with, measurement is the foundation. Without tracking codes you cannot see which click turned into a client, and splitting the budget remains guesswork.
5. What to watch in the first weeks
The first weeks are about learning. The ad systems also need time to find out who your ads are worth showing to, so the numbers of the first days are not yet reliable.
- How many clicks turn into an enquiry or a purchase, and how this changes from week to week.
- What an enquiry costs, and whether that is in proportion to what a client brings you.
- Which creative brings the most enquiries, and which only brings clicks.
- Which audience responds best, because it is often not the one you would think of first.
Once you have these numbers, splitting the budget is based on data. We stop the ads that perform poorly, and give more budget to the ones that perform well.
6. Where most of the budget leaks away
- Targeting that is too broad, showing the ad to people who are not interested.
- A single creative that wears out within weeks, because the same people keep seeing it.
- A landing page that does not say what the ad promised.
- Missing measurement, which lets poorly performing ads keep running.
7. Frequently asked questions
How big a budget should I start with?
That depends on your market and your goal. It needs to be enough to collect sufficient data within a few weeks to see which ad works. We talk this through for your situation in our first conversation.
When do TikTok and LinkedIn come into play?
TikTok works well with younger audiences and short videos, while LinkedIn is for reaching business decision-makers. We manage campaigns on both if your target audience is there.
How long until I can see whether a campaign works?
It takes a few weeks for the ad systems to learn who to show the ad to, and for enough data to build up for a decision. It is not worth making big changes based on the numbers of the first few days.
Do you make the creatives too?
Yes. The creatives and the campaign settings are made by the same team, so we quickly see what needs to change if an ad does not bring enquiries.
How can I see where the budget went?
Every month you receive a clear summary of where the budget went and what brought clients. It also shows you what we are changing the following month.
